Hiking Stick

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a hiking stick, which enables the lengths of multi-stage support pipes to be quickly and simply adjusted by a simple touch and elastically supports the weight of a user when walking with the stick. The present invention provides a hiking stick ( 10 ) in which support pipes ( 11, 12, 13 ) having different diameters are combined such that the lengths of the support pipes are adjusted by adjusting means ( 30 ) and a handle ( 20 ) and a support ( 40 ) are combined to the support pipes ( 11, 12, 13 ), wherein the adjusting means ( 30 ) are configured such that: a fixing pipe ( 31 ) is coupled to the lower part of the first support pipe ( 11 ), and an operating pipe ( 32 ) is elastically supported by a spring ( 33 ) in connection with the fixing pipe ( 31 ); the second support pipe ( 12 ) having locking grooves ( 12   a ) formed on the outer surface thereof is elevated by being inserted into the first support pipe ( 11 ); a connection hole ( 31   b ) that penetrates the side of the fixing pipe ( 31 ) is perforated such that a stopper ball ( 31   a ) is inserted thereinto; when the ball ( 31   a ) is pressed on the inner diameter of the operating pipe ( 32 ), the ball ( 31   a ) is locked in the locking grooves ( 12   a ) of the second support pipe ( 12 ) whereby the second support pipe ( 12 ) is fixed to the first support pipe ( 11 ); when the operating pipe ( 32 ) is raised and the ball ( 31   a ) is located in a wide extensive groove ( 32   a ) of the operating pipe ( 32 ), the ball ( 31   a ) is separated from the locking grooves ( 12   a ) of the second support pipe ( 12 ) whereby the second support pipe ( 12 ) is elevated in the first support pipe ( 11 ); and a snap ring ( 34 ) is coupled to the fixing pipe ( 31 ), thereby preventing the separation of the operating pipe ( 32 ).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a US national phase of PCT patent Application No.PCT/KR2013/002477 having an International filing date of Mar. 26, 2013,which claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0043696,filed on Apr. 26, 2012, the entireties of which are incorporated hereinby reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hiking stick, which enables thelengths of multi-stage support pipes to be quickly and simply adjustedby a simple touch and elastically supports the weight of a user whenwalking with the stick.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A hiking stick is generally configured to decrease the consumption ofphysical strength in such a way to absorb about 30% of the total weightapplied to user's legs, while providing a stable hiking by maintainingbalanced hiking postures when the user climbs up or down mountain. Whenthe user climbs down mountains, the hiking stick may effectively absorbthe impacts applied to the user's knees, so such a hiking stick iswidely used by men and women of all ages because it is regarded as oneof the key hiking equipment.

The above-described hiking stick is configured in such a way that thelength thereof may be adjusted for easier carrying. More specifically,the lengths of the multistage support pipes may be elastically adjustedby tightening or loosening the multistage support pipes in such a way torotate a nut type tightening member.

Since the related length adjustable hiking stick is configured toelastically adjust the length by tightening or loosening the multistagesupport pipes in such a way to rotate a thread-engaged tighteningmember, it takes relatively longer time to strongly tighten or loosenthe tightening member while causing complicated work. If the tighteningmember is not tightly engaged, the hiking stick may not withstand strongimpacts when touching on the ground, so the support pipes mayunintentionally slide into the other support pipes, thus breaking theparts.

The hiking stick is generally made from a predetermined material and isconfigured to have high durability, which are strong and high enough toprevent the hiking stick from bending or breaking when a user touches onthe ground. When the force of about 41 kg is applied for 15 seconds to aportion about 10 mm away from the center of the hiking stick, it shouldnot be bent or broken or deformed; however many of the related hikingsticks fail to pass the resistance test based on the materials of thehiking sticks.

Due to the above-described problems, if the support pipes slide into theother support pipes or the hiking stick is bent or deformed, the usermay lose the center of gravity when climbing down mountains, whichresults in critical accidents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating a state that the length of a hikingstick is extended according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating a state that the length of a hikingstick is contracted according to the present invention.

FIGS. 3 a and 3 b are partially enlarged cross sectional viewsillustrating an operation state according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a disassembled perspective view illustrating an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention.

[Legend of Reference Numbers] 10: hiking stick 11: first support pipe12: second support pipe 12a, 13a: engaging groove 13: third support pipe20: handle 30: adjusting unit 31: fixing pipe 31a: ball 31b: engaginghole 31c: shoulder 32: operation pipe 32a: expansion groove 33, 44a,44b: spring 34, 46: snap ring 40: prop 41: first guide pipe 42: secondguide pipe 43: third guide pipe 45: support member

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field

Accordingly, the present invention is made in an effort to improve theabove-mentioned problems. It is an object of the present invention toprovide a high quality and good function hiking stick characterized inthat the length of a hiking stick may be quickly and easily adjustedthrough simple procedures, and the hiking stick may be prevented frombending in such a way to elastically support the weight.

Technical Solution

To achieve the above object, there is provided a hiking stick 10 whereinsupport pipes 11, 12 and 13 each having different diameters are engagedto each other, and the length is elastically adjusted by means of anadjusting unit 30, and a handle 20 and a prop 40 are engaged to the topsand bottoms of the support pipes 11, 12 and 13, comprising the adjustingunit 30 which includes a fixing pipe 31 engaged to bottom of the firstsupport pipe 11, and an operation pipe 32 which is engaged to the fixingpipe 31 and is elastically supported by means of a spring 33, wherein asecond support pipe 12 on an outer circumferential surface of which aplurality of engaging grooves 12 a are formed at regular intervals isinserted in the interior of the first support pipe 11 and ascends anddescends therein, and an engaging hole 31 b passing through its sidesurface is formed at bottom of the fixing pipe 31, and a stopper ball 31a is inserted in the engaging hole 31 b, and when the ball 31 a ispressed against the inner diameter of the operation pipe 32, the ball 31a is caught by the engaging groove 12 a of the second support pipe 12,and the second support pipe 12 is fixed in the interior of the firstsupport pipe 11, and the operation pipe 32 ascends, and when the ball 31a is positioned in a wider expansion groove 32 a at bottom of theoperation pipe 32, the ball 31 a disengages from the engaging groove 12a of the second support pipe 12, and the second support pipe 12 freelyascends or descends in the interior of the first support pipe 11, and asnap ring 34 is engaged to bottom of the fixing pipe 31 so as to preventthe operation pipe 32 from disengaging.

Advantageous Effects

In the present invention, the length of the second support pipe 12 maybe quickly and easily adjusted through simple procedures of pulling theoperation pipe 32 of the adjusting unit 30. When releasing the pulledoperation pipe 32, the length-adjusted first and second support pipes 11and 12 are reliably fixed, so the length adjusting work may be simplyfinished while obtaining enhanced convenience when in use, which leadsto the provision of a high quality and good function hiking stick. Also,a pair of springs formed of first and second springs 44 a and 44 b ofthe support unit 40 are provided so as to distribute and support weight,thus stably supporting the weight thanks to a synergic operation of thesupport force which balances a user's body and the buffer power, so thecenter of gravity may be stably maintained, while effectively absorbingimpacts and preventing any deformation of the hiking stick, whereby safemountain hiking may be obtained.

MODE FOR INVENTION

In order to accomplish the object, the preferred embodiments of thepresent invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the length of the hiking stick may beadjusted in such a way that support pipes 11, 12 and 13 each havingdifferent diameters are engaged, and the support pipes 11, 12 and 13 areinserted into the interiors of the neighboring support pipes, thuscontracting the length, and when they are withdrawn, the length extends.

The support pipes 11, 12 and 13 are configured for their lengths to beadjusted by an adjusting unit 30. A handle 20 and a prop 40 are engagedto the tops and bottoms of the support pipes 11, 12 and 13.

The construction of the thusly constituted hiking stick 10 is a knownart. The most important feature of the present invention lies in theconstruction of an adjusting unit 30 which is configured to facilitatethe lengths of the support pipes to be quickly and easily adjusted whenthe operation pipe 32 is simply touched.

More specifically, the adjusting unit 30 comprises a fixing pipe 31engaged to bottom of the first support pipe 11, and an operation pipe 32which is engaged to the fixing pipe 31 and is elastically supported bythe spring 33.

The second support pipe 12 is inserted into the interior of the firstsupport pipe 11 and may ascend and descend therein. A plurality ofengaging grooves 12 a are formed at regular intervals on an outercircumferential surface of the second support pipe 12.

At the bottom of the fixing pipe 31, there is formed an engaging hole 31b which passes through its side surface. A stopper ball 31 a is insertedin the engaging groove 31 b.

In a state that the stopper ball 31 a is inserted in the engaging hole31 b, when the ball 31 a is pressed against the inner diameter of theoperation pipe 32, it protrudes in an inward direction in the engaginghole 31, so the ball 31 a is caught by the engaging groove 12 a of thesecond support pipe 12, and the second support pipe 12 is fixedlyinserted in the interior of the first support pipe 11.

When the ball 31 a ascends in the fixing pipe 31 by pulling theoperation pipe 32, the ball 31 a is positioned in the wider expansiongroove 32 a at the bottom of the operation pipe 32 and remains free, sothe ball 31 a separates from the engaging groove 12 a of the secondsupport pipe 12, and the second support pipe 12 may freely ascend ordescend in the interior of the first support pipe 11.

A snap ring is engaged to the bottom of the fixing pipe 31, thuspreventing the operation pipe 32 separating and moving toward the bottomof the fixing pipe 31, and a shoulder 31 c is formed at top of thefixing pipe 31, so the operation pipe 32 may move between the shoulder31 c and the snap ring 34 in a state that the operation pipe 32 iselastically supported by the spring 33.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 a, in the present invention, the stopper ball31 a is engaged to the engaging groove 12 a of the second support pipe12. In a state that the second support pipe 12 is fixedly inserted inthe interior of the first support pipe 11, when the operation pipe 32 ispulled in an upward direction, as illustrated in FIG. 3 b, the ball 31 ais positioned in the wider expansion groove 32 a at bottom of theoperation pipe 32 and remains free. When the operation pipe 32 isreleased at a predetermined length while freely moving the secondsupport pipe 12, the operation pipe 32 descends by recovery force of thespring 33, and the stopper ball 31 a is pressed against the innerdiameter of the operation pipe 32 and is caught by the engaging groove12 a of the second support pipe 12, so the length of the second supportpipe 12 is adjusted and fixed.

The length of the second support pipe 12 can be quickly and easilyadjusted by a simple procedure of pulling the operation pipe 32. Whenthe pulled operation pipe 32 is released, the first and second supportpipes 11 and 12 whose lengths have been already adjusted may be stablyfixed, so it is possible to provide a high quality and good functionhiking stick whose length may be easily adjusted, while enhancingconvenience when in use.

Also, the stopper ball 31 a, the fixing pipe 31, the operation pipe 32and the first and second support pipes 11 and 12 are all made fromstainless steel, so once the stopper ball 31 a is caught by the engaginggroove 12 a of the second support pipe 12, it is stably fixed and won'teasily separate from the engaging groove 12 a, which makes sure thatrequirements of the resistance test may be met while substantiallysupporting the weight. So, the present invention may provide a hikingstick having a high competitiveness and good function by improving theproblems encountered in the conventional art wherein the hiking stick isinserted into the interior of the support pipes and is bent or deformed,which causes critical accident when a user climbs down mountains andthen loses the center of gravity.

The adjusting unit 30 may be also engaged to bottom of the secondsupport pipe 12, thus adjusting the length of the third support pipe 13inserted in the second support pipe 12. The engaging groove 13 a is alsoformed at the third support pipe 13, so the ball 31 a of the adjustingunit 30 may be engaged thereto.

At this time, the lengths of the second support pipe 12 and the thirdsupport pipe 13 may be together adjusted by means of two adjusting units30 for thereby more greatly adjusting the length of the hiking stick 10.The length of the hiking stick may be adjusted much shorter, thusenhancing convenience when carrying the hiking stick.

The prop 40 comprises a first guide pipe 41 fixedly engaged to bottom ofthe third support pipe 13, a second guide pipe 42 engaged to the firstguide pipe 41, a third guide pipe 43 engaged to the second guide pipe42, and first and second springs 44 a and 44 b which are insertedbetween the first and second guide pipes 41 and 42 and between thesecond and third guide pipes 42 and 43 for thereby elasticallysupporting the first guide pipe 41. To bottom of the third guide pipe43, a cemented carbide support member 45 is engaged.

To bottom of the first guide pipe 41, a snap ring 46 is engaged forthereby preventing the second guide pipe 42 from disengaging and movingtoward bottom of the first guide pipe 41.

In the above-described construction, since the first guide pipe 41fixedly against the third support pipe 13 is elastically supported bymeans of the first and second springs 44 a and 44 b, the weight appliedwhen the hiking stick 10 is touched may be elastically absorbed, bymeans of which it is possible to prevent the hiking stick 10 frombending or breaking or deforming, which results in safe hiking.

Since the two springs consisting of the first and second springs 44 aand 44 b are configured to support weight in such a way to distributethe weight, the support force maintaining a balance of a user's body andthe buffer powder absorbing the impacts synergically operate, thusimplementing a good function hiking stick, so the present invention mayabsorb impacts while maintaining the center of gravity by stablysupporting the weight and prevent any deformation of the hiking stick,which leads to safe hiking.

The above-described exemplary embodiments of the present invention areprovided for illustrative purposes and should understood in such a waythat the above-described examples are not limited by any of the detailsof the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rathershould be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined inthe appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications thatfall within the meets and bounds of the claims, or equivalences of suchmeets and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appendedclaims.

We claim:
 1. A hiking stick 10 wherein support pipes 11, 12 and 13 each having different diameters are engaged to each other, and the length thereof is elastically adjusted by means of an adjusting means 30, and a handle 20 and a prop 40 are engaged to the tops and bottoms of the support pipes 11, 12 and 13, comprising: the adjusting means 30 which includes a fixing pipe 31 engaged to bottom of the first support pipe 11, and an operation pipe 32 engaged to the fixing pipe 31 and is elastically supported by means of a spring 33, wherein a second support pipe 12 on an outer circumferential surface of which a plurality of engaging grooves 12 a are formed at regular intervals, is inserted in the interior of the first support pipe 11 and ascends and descends therein, and an engaging hole 31 b passing through its side surface is formed at bottom of the fixing pipe 31, and a stopper ball 31 a is inserted in the engaging hole 31 b, and when the ball 31 a is pressed against the inner diameter of the operation pipe 32, the ball 31 a is caught by the engaging groove 12 a of the second support pipe 12, and the second support pipe 12 is fixed in the interior of the first support pipe 11, and the operation pipe 32 ascends, and when the ball 31 a is positioned in a wider expansion groove 32 a at bottom of the operation pipe 32, the ball 31 a disengages from the engaging groove 12 a of the second support pipe 12, and the second support pipe 12 freely ascends or descends in the interior of the first support pipe 11, and a snap ring 34 is engaged to bottom of the fixing pipe 31 so as to prevent the operation pipe 32 from disengaging.
 2. The stick of claim 1, wherein the adjusting means 30 is engaged to bottom of the second support pipe 12, thus adjusting the length of the third support pipe 13 inserted in the second support pipe
 12. 3. The stick of claim 1, wherein the prop 40 comprises a first guide pipe 41 engaged to bottom of the third support pipe 13, a second guide pipe 42 engaged to the first guide pipe 41, a third guide pipe 43 engaged to the second guide pipe 42, and first and second springs 44 a and 44 b inserted between the first and second guide pipes 41 and 42 and between the second and third guide pipes 42 and 43 for thereby elastically supporting the first guide pipe 41, and to bottom of the third guide pipe 43, a cemented carbide support member 45 is engaged. 